Heat protection, facial masks and sunscreen - episode 401

Summary

Podcast Title: The Beauty Brains
Host/Author: Discover the beauty and cosmetic products you should use and avoid
Description: Real scientists answer your beauty questions
Episode: Heat protection, facial masks and sunscreen - Episode 401
Release Date: July 6, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 401 of The Beauty Brains, host Perry Romanowski is joined by Valerie George to delve into a range of "Blazing Questions" surrounding heat protection in hair care, the efficacy of facial masks, sunscreen application, and the buzz around red light masks. The episode combines scientific insights with practical advice, ensuring listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of these beauty topics.

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Beauty News: The Next Wave of Skincare Ingredients

Perry and Valerie discuss emerging skincare ingredients featured in a Nouveau magazine article, evaluating their actual benefits versus the marketing hype.

1. Exosomes [04:24 - 06:19]

Exosomes have gained popularity as a cutting-edge skincare ingredient. Valerie expresses skepticism, stating, “I don’t know. I’m not sold. I think you get about the same benefit as a standardized extract” (05:46). Although exosomes facilitate cell communication and are naturally occurring in the body, current topical applications may not offer significant advantages over established ingredients like peptides. Valerie highlights that most studies involve injected exosomes with limited topical research.

2. Polyglutamic Acid (PGA) [06:19 - 08:12]

Known since the 1990s, PGA is touted for its humectant properties, claiming to bind water more effectively than hyaluronic acid. However, Valerie argues, “I just don’t think people would notice anything different here because you know, a humectant is a humectant” (07:59). While PGA offers a more elegant formulation compared to glycerin, its consumer-visible benefits over existing humectants are minimal.

3. Bisabolol [08:12 - 08:45]

An established anti-inflammatory ingredient, Bisabolol has been used for decades in skincare. Valerie mentions, “Bisabalol's been used for decades” (08:25), recognizing its efficacy in soothing the skin, especially for sensitive or red skin types. Despite its long-standing presence, it remains a reliable ingredient without the need for renewed hype.

4. Polyhydroxy Acids (PHA) [08:45 - 09:29]

PHAs, larger hydroxy acids known for gentle exfoliation, have seen a resurgence. Valerie notes their benefits in reducing irritation while providing humectant properties. However, she feels, “I just felt like they didn’t catch on at the time” (08:50), suggesting that PHAs are a safe but not necessarily groundbreaking addition to skincare routines.

5. Peptides [09:29 - 12:14]

Peptides are emphasized as promising due to their role in collagen production and skin hydration. Perry asserts, “I do think peptides are probably the most promising to be able to show some results” (09:52). While peptides may offer tangible benefits, Valerie points out that their effectiveness often requires consistent, long-term use, which might not yield immediate visible results for consumers.

6. Hypochlorous Acid [12:14 - 13:00]

Valerie expresses surprise at hypochlorous acid being considered a next-generation ingredient, noting, “I feel like this is so 3 years ago already” (12:14). Despite its antibacterial properties, the lack of extensive data and specialized manufacturing requirements make it less appealing compared to more established ingredients.

Additional Insights: Beef Tallow and Magnesium [12:14 - 13:19]

Valerie predicts a trend towards beef tallow and magnesium, noting their popularity in the DIY community and recent mainstream adoption. However, concerns about prion diseases like BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) are raised, emphasizing the need for strict certification when using animal-derived ingredients.

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Listener Questions: Expert Answers

1. Heat Protection with Leave-In Milk [15:28 - 17:52]

Question from Lisa: Can a leave-in milk like Mizani 25 Miracle Milk replace a separate heat-protecting product for high-heat styling?

Valerie's Response: The product contains standard conditioning ingredients and silicones like Amodimethicone, which offer minimal heat protection. Valerie advises, “I would use a supplemental heat protectant” (16:28) for flat ironing, suggesting that while the leave-in conditioner provides some protection, it is insufficient on its own for high-temperature styling.

2. Damage from High-Force Air in Hair Drying [19:12 - 25:53]

Question from Amanda: What kind of damage can high-force air from devices like the Dyson Air straightener cause to wet hair compared to traditional blow drying?

Discussion: Valerie explains that high-force air focuses on physically displacing water and enhancing evaporation, potentially causing less thermal damage but still posing mechanical risks due to the pressure and movement involved (19:59). They discuss how mechanical damage compares to heat-induced damage, concluding that while high-force air might be gentler than traditional heat tools, it can still harm hair if used excessively. Both suggest using quality conditioners and heat protectants to mitigate damage.

3. Facial Mask Efficacy [27:35 - 31:53]

Question from Babette (UK): What makes the Mediheal Korean face mask effective for sensitive skin, and what are its key ingredients?

Valerie's Analysis: The mask contains multiple humectants like glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, and niacinamide, which collectively enhance skin hydration and texture. Valerie surmises, “this product just has a lot of different types of humectants” (30:21). She concludes that the mask's effectiveness likely stems from its comprehensive hydrating formula rather than a single standout ingredient.

4. Sunscreen Usage [32:04 - 37:38]

Questions from Janie:

• a. 15-Minute Wait Time: Does sunscreen require 15 minutes to become effective?

  Perry's Insight: Sunscreens begin working immediately upon application by forming a protective film. The “15-minute wait” likely originates from SPF testing protocols rather than a necessity for consumer use (32:38).

• b. Interfering Ingredients: Can certain serums and ingredients like azelaic acid cause pilling and reduce sunscreen efficacy?

  Valerie's Advice: Pilling indicates that product layers are not adhering properly, potentially compromising sunscreen effectiveness. She recommends avoiding heavy silicone-based products like the one mentioned, advising instead to use simpler serums with adequate hydration (35:21).

• c. Hydrocolloid Patches: Do they provide any sun protection?

  Perry and Valerie's Response: Generally, hydrocolloid patches offer little to no UV protection unless specifically formulated to do so. Both suggest assuming that patches do not provide sufficient sun protection and recommend using sunscreen independently (36:33).

5. Red Light Masks and Collagen Growth [37:38 - 44:52]

Question from a Listener: Are red light masks effective in restoring collagen, or are they merely a marketing hoax?

Valerie's Perspective: While red light therapy has been studied for collagen stimulation, most home devices lack the precision and specific wavelengths used in professional settings. Moreover, the commitment required for daily use makes consistent results unlikely. Valerie acknowledges some potential benefits but emphasizes skepticism regarding their practical efficacy for the average consumer (38:17).

Perry's Take: He concurs, highlighting that marketing often leverages technical jargon and numbers to create an illusion of efficacy. Perry doubts significant visible results for users, likening it to the allure of gadgets that promise much but deliver little (44:14).

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Conclusion

Perry and Valerie wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to support the show via Patreon for exclusive content and prioritization of questions. They also invite listeners to engage with them on various social media platforms.

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Notable Quotes:

• Valerie on Exosomes: “I don’t know. I’m not sold. I think you get about the same benefit as a standardized extract.” (05:46)
• Perry on Peptides: “I do think peptides are probably the most promising to be able to show some results.” (09:52)
• Valerie on Patches and UV Protection: “Better to be safer than sorry.” (37:32)
• Perry on Marketing Numbers: “Marketers love numbers because to people, you see a number, oh, this is 10 times better. Well, this is 12 times better, and that 12 is bigger than 10, and so it must be better.” (44:34)

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Final Thoughts: Episode 401 of The Beauty Brains offers a balanced examination of current trends and consumer questions in the beauty industry. By dissecting ingredient claims and providing evidence-based recommendations, Perry Romanowski and Valerie George empower listeners to make informed decisions about their beauty routines.

Transcript

[Perry Romanowski]

Hi, I'm Perry and you're listening to the Beauty Brain. Hello and welcome to the Beauty Brains, a show where real cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions and give you an insider's look at the cosmetic industry. This is episode 401. I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and with me today is Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

[Valerie George]

Hi, Perry.

[Perry Romanowski]

Valerie, it's a little warm out here today, isn't it?

[Valerie George]

Well, I think whether you're in Chicago or Dallas, it is blazing.

[Perry Romanowski]

Speaking of blazing, that's what we have on our show, Blazing Questions. And we're going to cover a lot, including how do you know if a product is providing heat protection? What kind of damage can high force air do to wet hair? What makes a facial mask work amazingly? What is really important when using a sunscreen? And do those red light masks really spur collagen growth? But first, some chit chat. Valerie, I was just talking about the heat here, right. And I. Just before the podcast, I went for a run.

[Valerie George]

I thought you just freshly showered. Cause your hair looks kind of wet.

[Perry Romanowski]

No, I am drenched and I was.

[Valerie George]

Like, Perry's so ready this morning. I can't believe he's already run. He showered and. No, he's just a sweaty mess.

[Perry Romanowski]

No. Yeah, it's a. But, you know, I get this way in the winter too, but in the summer it's doubly. But this is what happened. I. I get done with my run and little Dreamsicle sees me. He was on someone else's porch and he sees me and he comes prancing up and he walks alongside me to my house, meowing and rubbing on my legs. And then I walk onto my porch and I sit down to drip dry because I didn't want to get all sweaty inside my house. So I drip dry out there. And in the Dreamsicle, he jumps up on the couch and, you know, I'm petting him and such. But then he sheds. And now I got all this cat fur sticking to my sweaty body and I still feel the cat fur all over me.

[Valerie George]

Oh, my goodness. And your poor wife is allergic. Hopefully that doesn't bother her. Hopefully she doesn't even come near you.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. I will have to shower. You know, but that's. You know what I. When I go for runs and stuff, I get all sweaty. When, like, how do you manage sweat? Because I can't even go in my house. Cause I'm just like dripping all over the place.

[Valerie George]

Well, I'm not a big sweater, so I don't have this problem. If I were to Go for a run? I mean, yeah, I would perspire a little bit around my hairline. I have a lot of hair, so it gets very hot. But I generally am just not a sweater. Except for, you know, lately with all the hot flashes.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, that's right. How fun is that?

[Valerie George]

It's no good. I don't like this, you know, foreshadowing of menopause.

[Perry Romanowski]

Sure. Well, my strategy is I just have to sit outside my house and drip dry until then. It takes, like, 15 minutes, and then I'm dry enough to go in the house.

[Valerie George]

I probably would, you know, take my shirt off and have, like, a hand towel and dry off before I go in.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, that works. But then it all just comes back. Like, sometimes I'll take a shower, I'll towel off, and then I'll just exude water for another five minutes.

[Valerie George]

Oh, wow.

[Perry Romanowski]

I know. I'm weird. I have this whole. Whole weird system here.

[Valerie George]

Very interesting.

[Perry Romanowski]

All right, well, do you have anything else going on there? I mean, you got. We got what? We're just a little over a week out, huh?

[Valerie George]

Yeah. Nope, just hanging out. Families coming into town, getting ready for them, getting the, you know, room ready. We're not prepared, so, you know, just getting the final touches in place, but more importantly, getting work in a good spot space. So I'm not worried about that.

[Perry Romanowski]

That's good. That's good. All right, well, why don't we head on over to beauty news? There really isn't much going on in the summertime, is there?

[Valerie George]

No, it's always, you know, kind of quiet articles, you know, even LinkedIn I've been pinking in on, and not much.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, well, I saw this one in Nouveau magazine. You know, it's probably clickbaity stuff, but it's the next wave in buzzy skincare ingredients. So I thought we'd go through those and see. What do you think of these buzzy ingredients?

[Valerie George]

Okay.

[Perry Romanowski]

And are they even new? Okay, the first one here. Exosomes. Everybody talking exosomes.

[Valerie George]

I'm sick of it. So a couple years ago, I did a project for a dermatologist, and they had inquired about using exosomes in their product. And at the time, exosomes were only really commercially available from placenta. And whether it's from humans, cows, it's generally just a no, no to use in products. But now you can get exosomes from plants, and that's primarily what we're seeing in skin care. And basically, they're phospholipid encapsulated messenger rna Proteins, other materials that they excise from the plant plants, and they're able to penetrate the skin, albeit the stratum corneum and stratum granulosum. So outer layers of the skin and provide different benefits to the skin. Now they're naturally occurring in our body as well. It's how cells communicate with each other. Basically, little messenger RNA or micro RNA is encapsulated in our body right by the Golgi apparatus. And then it, you know, goes out and goes to other cells and tells the cells what to do. So it's native within our bodies, but topically, I don't know. I'm not sold. I think you get about the same benefit as a standardized extract.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, it also seems to be that. Isn't this just a fancier way to talk about liposomes or something? Because liposomes are kind of the same.

[Valerie George]

Thing, a very similar concept, except what's packaged inside is very different. Now, there are studies that show exosome efficacy, but it's either injected, it's not applied topically, and there's just not a ton of data out there. So a lot of the exosomes are applied with micro needling to facilitate penetration, but I don't know. We'll see.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, I suppose also, if it did actually work the way it's sold, I mean, that would make it a drug and not a cosmetic. So there's all that.

[Valerie George]

Well, and the benefits are really the same as peptides. So, you know, with a peptide, you. Which your body also recognizes because your body communicates by these small amino acid sequences. You know, if they could penetrate, they pretty much stimulate collagen production, increase hydration in the skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It's all this kind of generic stuff. All the data behind exosomes is the same as well. So it's like, why wouldn't you just use a peptide?

[Perry Romanowski]

Right? What. What new are we getting? I guess new. There's a new story. All right, here's another one. Polyglutamic acid, the opga. This isn't new, right?

[Valerie George]

Hasn't this been you this popular in the 90s?

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I mean, or at least the early 2000s. But. So.

[Valerie George]

Well, I mean, humectant. I mean, I'm sure it's fine. You know, of course, now they're saying in this article at least polyglutamic acid binds five times the amount of water is hyaluronic acid. But we know hyaluronic acid binds a thousand times the amount of glycerin or Whatever.

[Perry Romanowski]

I mean, it's just so this is 5,000. The time is glycerin.

[Valerie George]

I mean, I don't know, I feel like your skin can only get so much. So if you just had glycerin, hyaluronic acid, I think your skin set, I don't think you need pga.

[Perry Romanowski]

I just don't think people would notice anything different here because you know, a humectant is a humectant. Is a humectant.

[Valerie George]

Exactly.

[Perry Romanowski]

Glycerin is a little stickier. So formulating with something like PGA is probably a little bit more elegant but certainly more pricey. But from a consumer standpoint, I just don't see you getting much more.

[Valerie George]

No, not at all.

[Perry Romanowski]

Next one is Bisabolo.

[Valerie George]

Bisabalol's been used for decades.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh boy.

[Valerie George]

So many products have that I don't even know if it's even worth seeking. You know, I mean, I'm sure it's fine, especially if you have red skin or you, your skin needs to be soothed.

[Perry Romanowski]

But it's an anti inflammatory ingredient and.

[Valerie George]

There'S a lot of data behind it. Don't get me wrong. But I mean. Next fuzzy ingredient. I think we're just out of stuff to talk about.

[Perry Romanowski]

I know we're just going backwards here. Polyhydroxy acids.

[Valerie George]

Speaking of going backwards, These were popular 15 years ago and everyone had a 5%, 10%, 20% PHA something or another. And I just felt like they didn't catch on at the time. Maybe now timing is everything, I'm not really sure. But basically they're much larger hydroxy acids of sorts and so they don't penetrate the skin as much. Therefore you get tend to get less irritation, but they tend to work also less effectively and they have more humectant properties and exfoliating properties. So I mean it's a great option. But I feel like they've been out there. I feel like this article is just like, oh, we need another thing to talk about.

[Perry Romanowski]

I know. So speaking of another thing. Peptides.

[Valerie George]

We've talked about peptides a few episodes. I'd agree they're back in style. I feel like people didn't care about them as much. Now they do. And what's interesting is they actually mention a bubble water slide. Hydration boosting serum is like a product with a peptide that's a teen brand. Teens don't need peptides.

[Perry Romanowski]

I will say that of all these ingredients, I do think peptides are probably the most promising to be able to show some results. Because I mean, ultimately our bodies are made up of peptides and proteins. And so it is what we're made of. And so it could interact with the biochemistry of the body. I will ignore the fact that that would be regulatorily wrong. But you know, it doesn't work or not. I think peptides have the most potential. I just haven't seen a lot of evidence that they work better than just a moisturizer in a way consumers would notice.

[Valerie George]

Well, I mean, they take a long time to pay off. You know, it's not just like a one time use. You have to use them for weeks at a time. So you're exactly right.

[Perry Romanowski]

And we got one more buzzy ingredient, Hypochlorous acid. Everybody wants to spray bleach on themselves, I guess.

[Valerie George]

You know, this one's very interesting and I'm surprised they're mentioning like the next wave of fuzzy ingredients and this is one of them because I feel like this is so 3 years ago already and everyone's got one and you have to have special manufacturing capabilities to even produce it. It's not like an ingredient that you add and it decomposes so quickly. I wonder if, you know, you're even getting the hypochlorous acid on your skin. But also it's clearly an antibacterial.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah.

[Valerie George]

And so I'm just surprised it's not. They're not. The FDA is not coming down harder on brands for this.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, you know, the regulations in the United States, at least for a while, are just sort of out the window.

[Valerie George]

Yeah, they're busy. Busy doing other stuff.

[Perry Romanowski]

All right, all right. Well, those are the next buzzy ingredients. We do not seem too buzzed about them.

[Valerie George]

No. Is there an ingredient you would have put on there?

[Perry Romanowski]

I did. I think I would have gone with put peptides on there. That's kind of the buzziest stuff. But as far as what's going to help consumers, I would stick with the, you know, standard moisturizers and sunscreens. And it's hard to do better than that.

[Valerie George]

Well, I would have put beef tallow on the list a year, over a year ago. So it would have been for 2024. I predicted beef tallow and magnesium as really trending ingredients.

[Perry Romanowski]

Sure.

[Valerie George]

Because in the, in the DIY community, they've used beef tallow for a long time. They've used magnesium for a long time. And we're starting to see it hit mainstream beauty brands right now. Just starting. So I think I would have put beef tallow and magnesium.

[Perry Romanowski]

Wow. Nobody's worried about mad cow disease anymore apparently.

[Valerie George]

Does that even live in the tallow piece. I guess it could.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Their prions could get tied up in any of it. That's why the industry sort of got away from animal derived ingredients.

[Valerie George]

And you have to get a BSE certificate when you find formulate. Well, you should be requesting one at any rate.

[Perry Romanowski]

Bsc.

[Valerie George]

Bungespongiopathy.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, some prion disease.

[Valerie George]

We can't pronounce it, but it's basically. Yeah, not good.

[Perry Romanowski]

And cephalophony, I think is bovine spongicide. Encephalophyte.

[Valerie George]

I don't think it's spongicide. I think it's spongio.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, sponge. Yeah, it could be.

[Valerie George]

It's why we call it bse, guys.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right, the mad cow stuff. I had some point that I was going to make about that.

[Valerie George]

Well, look who has pregnancy brain now.

[Perry Romanowski]

He does. Well, all right. No. Oh, I was gonna, I was gonna tell this story. Back in the 1970s, my mom would buy soap and she went to. She would like buy the generic soap. She would go to like Aldi's or whatever and. And one time our dog got into the soap and was eating the soap because the soap was made from tallow.

[Valerie George]

Wow.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, there you go. So if you don't have fragrance, that covers it. Well, fragrance, it covers it for people, but apparently dogs will eat soap.

[Valerie George]

Well, I have a little mad cow disease story since we're sharing. So I grew up in Germany and in the 90s, late 80s, early 90s, there was some kind of outbreak of mad cow disease in Europe. And when I came back to the US And I was eligible to donate blood, it actually turned out for a while I wasn't eligible because they were having this wait out period for people who could have been exposed to mad cow disease. And so I had to wait out this period to be able to donate.

[Perry Romanowski]

To ensure that you didn't have it. Yeah.

[Valerie George]

And it turns out I didn't. So that's good.

[Perry Romanowski]

Prions are very interesting. And if we were a show like this podcast will kill you, we would cover in depth. But go over to them to see.

[Valerie George]

What a great podcast they're funny.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, it's fun. All right. Speaking of great podcasts, how about some great questions?

[Valerie George]

Our first question comes to us from Lisa, a patron. Can a leave in milk like Mizani 25 Miracle Milk take the place of using a separate heat protecting product? I absolutely love this product as leave in conditioner for my hair, but I'm a little skeptical if it provides enough heat protection for both blow drying and Flat ironing the hair. I have naturally coily, dry hair that I blow dry and flat iron on 415Fahrenheit with a ceramic flat iron on a weekly basis. Thanks for all the valuable, unbiased information you provide on this podcast.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, you are welcome for that. I'm looking at the ingredients of this one. It's got coconut oil, fennel seed oil, and coconut oil is the second ingredient, but so is amodimethicone. So they make it full of silicones there, polyquaternium 37, and, you know, conditioning ingredients. So it looks like a lot of standard conditioning ingredients, but extra oil.

[Valerie George]

Do you know what this looks like a product I'm very familiar with from my prior life, and this brand ripped it off.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, yeah.

[Valerie George]

Good for them. Great product.

[Perry Romanowski]

I think they said they emulated it.

[Valerie George]

They were inspired by it. Dupe culture. No, great. It looks like a great product. I can totally see why you would absolutely love this, but does it have heat protection? That's the big question. And I don't think it intentionally has heat protection. Now, you'll get some from Ammo Dimethicone, but there's not a lot in this product, I can assure you of that.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah.

[Valerie George]

So I would say if you are flat ironing the hair, I would use a supplemental heat protectant. If you were just blow drying, I would say it could be enough, because even a. A conditioner product that's left on will intrinsically provide a tiny bit of heat protection. But with flat ironing, I just think you got to add on something separate.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Like what ingredients should they have included if they wanted some really heat protection?

[Valerie George]

Well, I mean, Amodimethicone does have a tiny bit, but there's other silicones that have heat protection. Polymers have heat protection. So, for example, polyurethane 4814 PvP obviously has heat protection, but that's like actually a styling polymer. So your hair would be conformed to a specific style. But yeah.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I guess as far as. As far as things go. Yeah. Does it provide enough heat protection? Probably not on its own. So, you know, try something more. Although, you know, as long as you're using the conditioner afterwards, even if you get heat damage, I think a conditioner can cover up a lot of that damage.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. So, yeah, keep using the product, but when you're tempted to reach for your flat iron once a week, I would just pop a little spray on there.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, exactly. All right, we have another question from a patron. Amanda. Hi, Perry and Valerie. I just got a Dyson Air straight And I've been loving it for showering at night and using it to dry my hair before bed. Doing research on TikTok. Oh, research on TikTok. Some people complain of mechanical damage from Dyson hair appliances. What kind of damage can high force air do to wet hair? And how does it compare to the mechanical damage of blow drying wet hair with a brush? Will your average heat protectant provide that slip to the hair to protect against this mechanical damage? And then what's the best way to apply a heat protectant to hair? I use the Kendra Platinum blow dryer spray. I spritz my wet hair and comb it and often wonder how well is the product protecting my hair and being distributed enough or that I'm using it. Thanks for the show. All right, a lot of questions here, but let's do the first one about the high force air to wet. So those, those Dyson ones, I know when you go into, like the bathroom, the public bathroom, they got the super speed ones, and you exactly shoot out a lot of hair. What's that doing to hair?

[Valerie George]

Well, it's basically taking air. Their appliances. Now, you're not getting the same air strength as a hand dryer, but they're essentially forcing air through a very small space. So it's like very focused and high pressure on one area. And it's essentially physically displacing water from the hair and also improving the evaporation speed of water from the hair fiber. Traditional devices use heat to do that. So they rely on a hot tool basically to evaporate the hair using heat versus forced air, although a hairdryer would kind of use both. But what's interesting is people are complaining about mechanical damage from the appliances. So I don't know if that has to do with the forced.

[Perry Romanowski]

I'm looking at it and it's 250 bucks. Well, but.

[Valerie George]

Well, which. Where are you seeing it for $250? I'd like to know.

[Perry Romanowski]

It's on Walmart.com it's the. Oh, it's a restored premium Dyson airspace.

[Valerie George]

Okay. Yeah, I was going to say they're like 500 bucks.

[Perry Romanowski]

There you go. Okay. Well, you can get a restored one on Walmart.com but I'm looking at it and it looks like a flat iron to me.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. They actually do have a flat iron that's cordless. We tested it once and it was very heavy, very cumbersome to use. But this tool, instead of using traditional, like ceramic plates that only emit heat, air passes through them.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, okay. So interesting. So Your hair is, I guess, theoretically, just exposed to the air. Although I suppose the clamps together at the.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. And the pressure of you physically going down and straightening the hair fiber temporarily rearranges those hydrogen bonds as the hair dries. So it's a little bit of air, a little bit of pressure to reconform the hair fiber tension, if you will.

[Perry Romanowski]

I would have to say this forced air seems like it would be less damaging than those. The plates.

[Valerie George]

I think they're definitely less damaging than heat. He is very damaging for hair. So I know it seems like, yeah, you're probably getting some mechanical damage from the physical manipulation of the hair fiber, but I would venture to guess now, I haven't seen any studies, and maybe. I bet you Dyson probably has a couple studies. I would bet that it's less damaging than a traditional hot tool.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, I would bet if Dyson did the study, then, yes, that's what you would find.

[Valerie George]

I know, right? It reminds me of a tool. We've been judges for the Allure Beauty Awards in the past, and I typically do the hair ones. Perry's done the skin ones traditionally. Or his wife has, I should say.

[Perry Romanowski]

But she tries them. I evaluate them from the ingredient standpoint.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. So one time I got. I did get a Dyson air wrap, and I gave it to a friend because I already had one. And then I got a. And they didn't want them back once you use them. I was like, are you sure? So I gave it to a friend. But I also got this device. It was actually really cool, but I could see how it would damage hair mechanically in the long run. You basically stuck your hair into this. It looked like a mini vacuum cleaner, but like the old kind, like the Rainbow or the Tristars, where the canister separate and then you have the attachment where you would, you know, drag this canister around.

[Perry Romanowski]

It sucks the hair into the.

[Valerie George]

It sucks the hair into the attachment. Totally uses this forced air to suck all the water from it. And then you pull your hair out, and it's totally straight and smooth.

[Perry Romanowski]

Wow.

[Valerie George]

It was incredible. Really worked. And it was actually a very fast process to use. But I could see where your hair would get mechanical damage from just the force of the air blowing past it and it being wound really tight into the device to get it to be straight.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, yeah. You know what? That your description reminds me of a product called the flowbee.

[Valerie George]

Yeah.

[Perry Romanowski]

@Cnitv. And you could cut your hair with this Flowbee.

[Valerie George]

It was kind of like that, but without the cutting. Yeah. And I really loved it. But I had a friend who borrowed it and loved it and I was like, you can keep it.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, yeah. Well, there you go. All right, let's see. She had a few questions here. How does it compare to mechanical damage of blow drying? We already talked about that. Will the.

[Valerie George]

Well, in terms of how it compares a blow drying wet hair with a brush. Yeah. The heat is going to be more damaging for sure. But if you get mechanical damage, I think it depends what you have on the hair. Because if you have a lubricant or some kind of leave in styling, you may get less damage from the mechanical aspect, but you'll probably get more heat damage. They're two separate types of damage.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, yeah. Well, the blow drying is involved. There's heat involved in blow drying too, I guess, right?

[Valerie George]

Yes. Yeah.

[Perry Romanowski]

So, okay, and then will your average heat protectant provide slip to the hair to help against mechanical damage?

[Valerie George]

It depends. If you're using like an iron spray, I don't think you get as much slip and glide. I think you would need like a leave in cream of sorts.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah.

[Valerie George]

To reduce mechanical damage.

[Perry Romanowski]

But I think like the product we just talked about, it has, it has the coconut oil in it, but it has the Ammo Dimethicone. And if something's coating your hair with Ammo Dimethicone, you're gonna get protection from mechanical damage.

[Valerie George]

Yeah. So that the Mizani product. Yeah. Would be a great product to try.

[Perry Romanowski]

Best heat protectant to apply to hair.

[Valerie George]

Well, the best way, I mean, it really depends, it's what you're gonna saturate the hair with if you're using a cream and individual. And if you're using a cream and equally distributing it down the hair fiber, that's going to be great. There are a lot of sprays you mentioned. You use the Kenra Platinum spray. Sprays are nice because they use, you know, small droplets to distribute. But do they get everywhere? I think you have to saturate it pretty good.

[Perry Romanowski]

It's harder to spread around a spray because you're not. A lot of times you just spray it and then not do anything. But with the cream, you're gonna put it in your hair, rub it through so it's gonna get more distributed better.

[Valerie George]

Yeah. And then the iron sprays, you might think, okay, well, those are sprays. Those are probably worse too. But actually that when it's aerosolized, you get a lot of distribution and you tend to go up and down the hair fiber. So I think you get a decent enough coating with aerosol sprays.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Aerosols. Yeah. Spritzes are probably the hardest one to get the best distribution.

[Valerie George]

Exactly.

[Perry Romanowski]

Valerie. Look at that. We've got an audio question all the way from Babette in the uk.

[C]

Hi, the lovely Beauty Brains podcast team. I'm Babette, I'm from London. Hey, Perry. And Valerie. I'm a longtime fan. I've been listening for years, like way back when it was at Randy on the team. And just want to thank you guys firstly, so much, everything you do. You're so generous of your time and excellent. So today is the first time ever that I've called him with a question and it's about a specific face mask. So my skin naturally is quite sensitive and this face mask, when I use it, it just transforms my skin. I mean, it's unlike anything I've ever used before. So if my skin's really dry after a flight or if it's just hanging breakout, it's looking a bit dull. And it's just meh, you know, your skin's a bit meh. And I use this and it's just. Even the day artist, like, incredible. And this is just quite a cheap face mask as well that I picked up in a Watson's beauty store in Hong Kong. So the brand is Korean, it's called Mediheal. And I'm just wondering what the magic maybe ingredient is in this or if it's one of the key ingredients, because I can't find this face mask anywhere here in London, where I now live. And I just. I'm trying to find maybe a similar beauty product that could work as well, or if it's one specific thing in it that my skin is really. And my skin really loves and wants more of in this face mask. So any insights you have or any advice be so appreciated. So, yes, thank you both so much and please say hi to all your lovely pets. Little doggy. And I love hearing its little tippy toes in the background sometimes. The recording. So cute. And all the port kitties, of course. Thanks, guys.

[Perry Romanowski]

Valerie, I didn't know the audience heard your dogs.

[Valerie George]

Well, I think they used to hear my old dogs a lot. Clickety clack, you know, clacking around and it's like, get out of here. But Butch and Frank, we try to kick them out when I'm recording because they're so big, they try to get in your face. And Butch has an absolute meltdown. When I talk to the computer, he just goes and curls up in a little ball somewhere and gets so upset and then he gets so happy when I get off because he's like, oh, she's free. She's not crazy.

[Perry Romanowski]

I wonder how he's gonna be with the new baby.

[Valerie George]

Well, they won't be alone with him, that's for sure, because he. They could suffocate him.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, really?

[Valerie George]

Well, they're very big. They're like, almost 90 pounds and very furry.

[Perry Romanowski]

I think they usually work out all right with dogs.

[Valerie George]

We'll see.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, there you go. All right, well, back to the question about this mask. It's always amazing when you find a product that seems kind of mundane, like, there's a ton of them, but then you find just one that works better than anything else you've ever used. I can't personally say that this has ever happened to me because I don't really notice much different. I notice some subtle differences, like in shampoos and stuff, but everything at the end kind of just works for me anyway. But how about you? Are there products where you like, oh, this is amazing. And you can't really figure out why it's amazing?

[Valerie George]

Well, I would say in hair, I can always deduce why, because I'm so fine tuned to how ingredients interact with hair and knowing, like, what hair types things are better for. And so I can more tell, like, if I liked something or didn't like something, I'm like, oh, okay, yeah, that I always try to guess, like, oh, I think this ingredient is in there. That comes from years of training on the skin care side. I would say I'm more flabbergasted sometimes, you know, where I'm like, wow, I really like this. And it's just like an ordinary product. And I'm slowly, you know, starting to get the hang of it and trying to guess by feel, like, oh, what water thickener did they use and all that. You know, I know I don't like the feel of xanthan gum, that kind of stuff, but sometimes a product just feels really great, and it just goes really great with your skin, especially in the season that you're in, because skin changes seasonally.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah.

[Valerie George]

And you just say, wow, I love it. And you. You look at the back, and there's nothing special about it.

[Perry Romanowski]

And that brings us to this ingredient list from this Media Hill product. So it's really just a lot of humectants. It's got glycerin, sodium hyaluronate. We got panthenol in there.

[Valerie George]

We got niacinamide in there, betaine, hydroxyethylurea, glycerith 26 these are all power humectants.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Aloe juice. Like I'm looking in here, I don't see anything that I would say, oh, well, it's definitely that ingredient.

[Valerie George]

No, even. It even has beta glucan, which is really great for skin. It has arginine, glutamine to amino acids that you. Actually, there's more amino acids in it, but those are amino acids you don't need a lot of to have some kind of positive benefit on skin and hair, actually. And so what I think it is, this product just has a lot of different types of humectants, basically. And I could see where, if you had enough of the right humectants, your skin would feel pretty good because it feels plump, it feels soft.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, I also think that, you know, you maybe have never used a product that has this exact blend of this many humectants and. And this kind of thickening system. And so there's going to be a sensorial difference to you, so it'll feel different when you put it on. It could have its own fragrance. Often just the fragrance makes you feel better about a product, so it makes you feel like it's one working better. And with a lot of these masks, I think it's the experience of going through and using it. And if that's pleasant, you take it off, and you just are going to notice your skin better. Even though if we did measurements like transepidermal water loss or we took a corneometer and measured it, we wouldn't be able to show you some way that it's different. So I think that's probably mostly what's going on here, since there's no one ingredient I would say is doing it.

[Valerie George]

Yeah, very hard to say, but that's great. You found something you enjoy. That's the most important thing.

[Perry Romanowski]

Exactly. All right, moving right along, we've got a question from Janie.

[Valerie George]

Oh, this is a big one. Look at Janie sneaking three huge questions in here. Hi, Valerie and Perry. I love your show and all the kitty updates. I've been wondering three things about sunscreen and would love to hear your expert opinion on the matter. Sunscreen directions will usually say, wait 15 minutes before exposure. Does it really take 15 minutes of sunless time to settle in appropriately, or is that just so you don't get sun damage before it's in full effectiveness? In other words, if one goes in the sun five minutes after application, will it affect the efficacy for the next two hours?

[Perry Romanowski]

Okay. Well, I think sunscreens work once you put them on, like, immediately when you spread it on and it's forming the film, like, immediately. So this wait 15 minutes. I, I think that is just. I'm not really sure why somebody came up with that, but I don't see a really, like a, Like a scientific justification to it. Because once you put the sunscreen on, it's working.

[Valerie George]

Do you think it has to do with the SPF testing protocols where they apply it, let it dry down, and then they initiate their SPF test. And so therefore, that's the way the study was done. That's the way consumer directions are advised.

[Perry Romanowski]

You know, this is why we get these insider look at the industry. Because, yes, that's probably exactly where it comes from. Right. Because that's going to be the protocol just to ensure that everyone who's testing their sunscreen is doing it to the same level as everyone else. Because I could imagine if you put it on right away and it's still moist, the film has not set completely. So when you put. When you let it evaporate off after 15 minutes, like, all the excess water is going to. So then you're going to have the film on there as solidly as it can be. So that's probably exactly why they do that.

[Valerie George]

So I think you're going to be fine. The most important thing is you're applying it when you're out there. You know, just in my mind, I've been so trained. Like, put it on inside and then go out. But you're still gonna get SPF protection, right?

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I mean, I. I got to the beach and then you sit on the towel and then you put it on there.

[Valerie George]

Now, the only reason I don't like that is if the sunscreen's hot in the bottle, that grosses me out. Nothing's worse than putting on a hot lotion. Ugh.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, well, you know, the one thing I don't like about it is, like, you're doing that and then of course, there's sand everywhere. So then you're just rubbing sand on.

[Valerie George]

Your arms and stuff.

[Perry Romanowski]

I know.

[Valerie George]

Anyway, so I think that should be fine. Are there ingredients that will interfere with sunblock application? I've been using a few serums before I apply sunblock and added azelaic acid in silicone by the ordinary to the mix. But I got some pilling. The silicone mixture is very smooth and film forming, so I wondered if it would interfere with the absorption of the sunscreen. The sunscreen I use is a chemical sunscreen. La Roche posay uvmune 400.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, if you're getting pilling, that means the film that was on your skin is rolling up and coming off. So I think, yes, that would interfere. Right?

[Valerie George]

Yeah. I probably would not apply that specific product underneath your sunscreen. I mean, a simple serum that's, you know, moisturizing the skin is fine.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

But if it is forming that layer you're noticing the pilling, it's probably a pretty big pass.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. And some people had suggest, like with these, well, chemical, the organic chemical sunscreens, they're supposed to absorb into your skin. And that's. So they're in a little lower layer than the surface to provide protection. But that's, that's not really the case. It's, it's, it's on the surface layer and it goes a little bit lower, but, you know, it's still on the surface, too. So, yeah, if you're getting pilling, I think that's going to mess up your sunscreen effectiveness.

[Valerie George]

And as an aside, I am prescribed azelaic acid for rosacea. And I put it on at night. I don't know if there's necessarily a benefit to putting it on during the day, so I would switch that one tonight. And then on daytime, keep your SPF with a simple hydrating serum underneath.

[Perry Romanowski]

All right, one more question here.

[Valerie George]

Will a hydrocolloid patch offer any sun protection? I like to apply them to freshly washed skin, but this skin also benefits from sun protection. Since it's healing. Does a patch suffice? Thank you so much. I look forward to listening every week.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, as far as the patch go, I think it depends on how the patch is made, because I could see it's. If it's a. If it's opaque, it's like physically blocking the light coming through. So, yeah, you could do that. But if it's like a transparent or semi transparent one that's made out of like cellulose or glycerin or pectin or something like that, then UV can certainly get through that.

[Valerie George]

I tried to find where this information comes from because a lot of online resources, including other science communicators, say that the patches can offer some innate UV protection. But I actually couldn't find any literature out there about it. There were a couple papers that looked at specific ingredient combinations on patches for UV protection, but not the actual patch material itself. So I would just hate to assume that it does. And I would just assume that it doesn't.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, it's true.

[Valerie George]

Better to be safer than sorry.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right? It's safer to assume that these do not provide much protection if they provide any. It's not much.

[Valerie George]

I wouldn't think it was significant. So hopefully that answers your questions. Thank you, Janie.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, thank you. And that leaves us time for one more question. Hello beauty brains. I recently read a wire cutter review of red light masks to restore collagen and listen to a podcast based on the article. This sounds like the ultimate hoax. She sent leaks separately. Thank you for being the guardians of truth and justice in the beauty industry. And I included the the article. And so this is from the New York Times wire cutter.

[Valerie George]

And right up top, they say we do independently review everything we recommend. P.S. we may earn a commission when you buy through our links.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. And I think that is the key. So getting you to click on these links and buy something is how they make money at that. But you know what, a publication has got a get funding somehow and they do it through advertising. So what do we have here now as far as this being the ultimate hoax, it seems to me in the beauty industry there's a lot more, there's a lot of other hoax that might be more ultimate.

[Valerie George]

Well, they do say at the very beginning of this article like yes, they, it seems like using it would be beneficial for firmness and fine lines, but really they're best at providing relaxing self care moments.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yes.

[Valerie George]

Which I'd say is where a lot of the benefit comes from. Now red light has been heavily studied. You can find tons of papers, there's laser therapy journal publications where they look at different colored lights, like blue light, which is good until you get too much and then it's not good. Red light, green light, there's all types of different colors of the visible light. So spectrum that have been evaluated in different LED light therapies. And they're at very specific wavelengths though that these are studied at. And so if your device is not holding that wavelength or the wavelength range is really broad. I don't know if you can extrapolate from the study to the device. But also a lot of these articles are done by the companies or people who have been funded by the company. So it's hard to say for, for certain. Of course they show positive data, but it's like over 12 weeks, it's using the device twice a day for a certain amount of time. And you know, they're typically looking at photo damage. They're typically looking at periorbital wrinkles around the eyes. And a lot of it is, you.

[Perry Romanowski]

Know, that's actually my full name.

[Valerie George]

Oh wow.

[Perry Romanowski]

Periorbital.

[Valerie George]

I should have seen that. Coming. Oh, goodness. So essentially it's hard to say what's happening, but some of them, the way the efficacy is graded, they actually use scientific instrumentation. Other times it's like patients reported, it's more of like a feeling. But tons of papers out there, you could look at going back almost 20 years. It's not a new area of study.

[Perry Romanowski]

So as far as an office treatment goes, as far as these home ones do, I'm skeptical that somebody is going to be diligent enough in using these every day for a certain amount of time to get the benefits that you might have got in some study. So that's much more difficult. But I wouldn't say that it's like a huge hoax that they don't work at all.

[Valerie George]

I would agree with that statement. Now, the professional grade instruments, like anytime you go get laser done at a med spa versus a dermatologist's office, there's a huge, huge difference in the quality of equipment and the attenuation that these devices have to hold a very specific wavelength time and time again when it pulses your skin. And so, yes, in the home device sector for sure, I would agree. There's also a difference in quality. And the thing is, like, the home devices aren't that inexpensive. Imagine how expensive the really professional ones are in a med spa even, versus a dermatologist. They're very different. The other thing is, I wouldn't doubt that people would be so dedicated. I would think that there are people who are dedicated regardless of whether they see the results. They do it now.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah.

[Valerie George]

Is that the most common segment of people? They're plugging it in every single night, religiously using it? I would say no. People are more sporadic. But even if you did use it diligently, would you notice a difference? I. That's what I don't know. And I would say from conversations with my friends who've invested in these devices, it's more of like a beacon of hope, right?

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. I personally don't think you would notice anything even if there was some, even if there was some measurable effect that you'd have in a laboratory when you're controlling everything. I think for a consumer, they're going to notice much more than when they put on their favorite cream at night. And that's going to have much more impact than something like this, which may or may. Because you're not going to just use this and then not use anything else on your face either, Right?

[Valerie George]

Exactly. I always found it interesting when I went to go get facials that they would Put these lights on you? Yeah, because it's like, well, I'm not going to use it at home. And this five minutes of exposure, by the way, through, you know, like, layers of gauze and, like, tissues and fluid, like, I just don't know that it's doing anything. It creates a really nice atmosphere. And I'm sure in the. Under the right conditions, there is benefit. But I always found it interesting. Like, I'll. I'll just write it, Write it out. Even though my preferences. Let's just skip this part.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Well, I have to say, this whole thing, this whole article reminds me of. It just reeks of, like, marketing storytelling where they have all these specifications about how many LEDs are there and what are the specific wavelengths. And it's like they're trying to blind the consumer with all these numbers and information to. To be. It's. It's like buying a car or something. But to me, it's like, what is this? This isn't very helpful. Just trying to confuse people and make you think that you're getting something when at the end of the day, are you going to use this for a couple of months and notice anything new about your skin? I highly doubt it.

[Valerie George]

Or a difference between a device with 72 LEDs or 480, 160 Triwick LEDs.

[Perry Romanowski]

Marketers love numbers because to people, you see a number, oh, this is 10 times better. Well, this is 12 times better, and that 12 is bigger than 10, and so it must be better. So it tells that story without actually having to say that.

[Valerie George]

I'm like, I don't know, should I get one?

[Perry Romanowski]

You are led. Curious, huh?

[Valerie George]

Well, you know, I'd be interested to, like, if I could somehow cover up half of my face, I would be willing to do this. And I would put the mask on.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, that would make for some great content. And, you know, while you have the little baby there, you just holding the mask on, feeding the baby.

[Valerie George]

Could you imagine him looking up and seeing mommy with this mask on? Oh, my gosh.

[Perry Romanowski]

Speaking of masks, do you hear that music?

[Valerie George]

We've gotta go. Thanks for listening. If you get a chance, head over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review that's going to help other people find the show and ensure we have a full docket of beauty questions to answer.

[Perry Romanowski]

And speaking of questions, you heard Babette talk. Her voice was on the show because she recorded her question and sent it to [e-mail] you can do the same. And you know, those are not AI generated voices. That's an actual person there.

[Valerie George]

And we'd like to prioritize those over our patrons questions. Because if you have the confidence to share your voice on the show, we say we got to get it on.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, we will. If you record something and send it in, we will put it on there. Well, you know, it's got to be a question.

[Valerie George]

Of course, it has to be appropriate content.

[Perry Romanowski]

That too. But having said all that, if you send it in, it gets on the show. You know what? The Beauty Brains are also on Patreon. You know, we're not doing articles or segments or called the best Red light Therapy. Go buy these things like the New.

[Valerie George]

York Times and get us commissions from our affiliate links. Although, I mean, should we.

[Perry Romanowski]

I mean, like, on the website? I feel okay to do, like, affiliate links if it's just a Google Ad thrown on there. But I would feel bad if I sent out a newsletter and said, hey, buy this thing. I'm gonna. I don't know.

[Valerie George]

Yeah, it's not for us. It's not who we are.

[Perry Romanowski]

But these shows are not free to produce and to help cover costs. But we actually are on Patreon. So if you want to support the show, go to patreon.com thebeautybrains and subscribe at any level. You get a transcript of the show and you also get your questions. A higher priority than everyone else.

[Valerie George]

Also, don't forget to follow us on our various social media accounts. On Instagram, we're at the BeautyBrains 2018 on X, we're at the Beauty Brains. On Blue sky, we're at the Beauty Brains. We have a Facebook page and a TikTok.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Well, Valerie, thanks again for the show.

[Valerie George]

We had a great time. Hopefully we can get one more in before baby comes.

[Perry Romanowski]

Ah, yes. So we'll try to do that.

[Valerie George]

All right, guys, well, thanks again for listening. And remember, be brainy about your beauty.

[Perry Romanowski]

Thanks, everyone. Kittens.